JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  23,  1893. 
f)20 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  in  1898. 
June  23rd  (Thursday).— Bath  (N.R  S.)  and  Ryde. 
„  25th  (Saturday),— Windsor.  ,  t  i  r 
28th  (Tuesday). — Leeds,*  Southampton,!  Sutton,  and  Isle  ot 
Wight  (Carisbrook).  u  a 
29th  (Wednesday  ).—Brockham,  Canterbury,  Croydon,  and  Richmond 
(Surrey). 
„  30th  (Thursday). — Gloucester,  and  Norwich. 
July  2nd  (Saturday).— Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.). 
,  5th  (Tuesday),— Diss,  Harrow,  and  Hereford. 
6th  (Wednesday).- Chelmsford,  Ealing,  Famingham,  Hanley,! 
”  Hitchin,  Redhill  (Reigate),  and  Tunbridge  Wells. 
„  7th  (Thursday),— Woodbridge. 
„  8th  (Friday).— Ulverston. 
9th  (Saturday). — Manchester. 
12th  (Tuesday).— Westminster  (R.H.S.),  and  Wolverhampton.* 
II  13th  (Wednesday).— Bedford,  Ipswich,  Maidstone,  and  Newcastle- 
on-Tyne.* 
14th  (Thursday).— Halifax  (N.R.S.),  Brentwood,  Canterbury  (Hos- 
”  pital  Fund),  Helensburgh,  Reading,  and  Eltham  (altered 
from  June  30th). 
„  16th  (Saturday). — New  Brighton. 
„  2U  (Thursday). — Sidcup. 
„  26th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
,,  28th  (Thursday). — Bedale. 
*  Shows  lasting  three  days.  !  Shows  lasting  two  days. 
—Edward  Mawley,  Eosebank,  Berkhamsted,  Herts. 
National  Rose  Society  and  Two-days  Shows. 
As  long  as  my  excellent  friend  Mr.  Biron  was  floundering  in  a 
muddy  sea'^of  his  own  creation  I  did  not  think  it  needful  to  notice  his 
letter  in  the  Journal  of  May  5th,  tor  I  had  such  confidence  in  his 
agility  as  an  old  cricketer  that  he  would  not  be  inconvenienced  by  his 
niistake;  but  when  he  drags  others  down  who  are  perhaps  not  gifted 
with  such  powers  as  he  has,  I  think  it  better  to  set  the  matter  right. 
I  can  see  how  he  has  been  misled.  My  excellent  co-secretarj,  Mr. 
Mawley,  gives  as  soon  as  practicable  each  year  a  list  of  the  Rose  show 
fixtures  of  the  coming  season,  whether  they  are  those  of  the  afiiliated 
or  non-affiliated  societies,  and  the  error  into  which  Mr.  Biron  has  fallen 
is  that  of  supposing  that  all  the  societies  in  that  list  were  affiliated. 
The  fact  is  that  no  society  which  is  affiiliated  to  the  National  holds 
more  than  one  day-shows,  and  the  Committee  have  more  than  once  lately 
refused  to  entertain  the  notion  of  holding  a  provincial  show  which  ran 
into  two  days. — D.,  Deal, 
Rosa  spinosissima. 
In  the  Rose  garden  near  the  Pagoda  at  Kew  a  large  group  of  this 
Rose  and  its  varieties  may  be  seen  in  flower.  The  type  produces  white 
flowers  about  2-  inches  across.  Among  the  varieties,  however  (double 
and  single),  a  great  range  of  colour  exists,  some  being  white,  some  cream, 
others  pink,  &c.  Perhaps  the  best  and  most  distinct  of  the  varieties  is 
that  known  as  R.  s.  var,  altaica,  or  R.  grandiflora  as  it  is  sometimes 
erroneously  called.  At  Kew  this  variety  grows  6  feet  in  height  and 
flowers  very  freely  and  early.  The  flowers  are  white,  3  inches  in  diameter, 
and  are  followed  by  dark  purple  fruits.  For  planting  in  groups  in  a  semi¬ 
wild  state,  or  for  the  front  of  a  shrubbery,  a  selection  of  the  varieties  of 
this  species  will  be  found  very  useful.  If  planted  in  good  soil  to  begin 
with  they  are  little  trouble  afterwards. — D. 
COLCHESTER  SHOW.— June  16th. 
Why  Colchester  Rose  Show  should  be  so  particularly  early  each  year 
I  have  endeavoured,  without  much  success,  to  learn  from  the  courteous 
and  painstaking  Secretary,  Mr.  Orpen.  All  I  can  understand  is  that  it 
must  be  a  Thursday,  and  that  Thursdays  are  much  in  request  and  limited 
in  number.  My  imagination  fills  up  the  rest  with  the  supposition  that 
on  some  special  date  there  is  a  scramble,  or  game,  or  contest  of  some 
s  >rt  for  the  best  Thursdays — those  “  on  the  line,”  so  to  speak — and  that 
Colchester  has  hitherto  come  off  second  best,  and — to  use  the  same 
metaphor— been  “  skied.”  There  was  some  talk  of  putting  it  off  a  fortnight 
before  the  day  ;  but  on  the  appearance  of  warm  weather  it  was  resolved 
to  stick  to  the  original  date,  and  after  that  it  was  simply  a  cruel  fate  that 
the  four  days  before  the  show  should  be  so  dull  and  cold. 
The  show  was  held  in  the  grounds  of  C.  E.  Egerton-Green,  Esq.,  in  the 
town,  and  the  schedule  was,  as  usual,  a  perfect  model  of  that  of  a  dutiful 
affiliated  society  of  the  N.R.S.  Good  Roses,  as  may  be  supposed,  were 
very  scarce — indeed,  but  for  Mr.  Mount’s  contribution,  and  the  open  class 
of  twelve  Teas,  and  some  Marechal  Niels,  they  would  have  been  almost 
absent. 
For  thirty-six,  open,  Mr.  Mount  was  easily  first  ;  some  of  his  blooms 
bore  traces  of  not  having  quite  opened  of  themselves  ;  but  one  was  only 
too  glad  to  see  a  good  Rose  at  all,  to  be  hypercritical.  His  best  blooms 
were  all  Teas— Mardchal  Niel,  Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince,  Catherine  Mermet, 
and  Rubens.  Messrs.  D.  Prior  &  Son  were  second,  having  Cleopatra, 
Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince  and  Niphetos  in  good  form  ;  and  Mr.  B.  11.  Cant 
was  third,  having  also  Teas  for  his  best  flowers. 
In  twelve  Teas,  open,  the  judging  was  at  first  sight  not  so  easy,  the 
twelve  of  Mr.  Prince  of  Oxford  being  very  much  the  best,  but  having  a 
terribly  “  gone  ”  Marechal  Niel  prominently  displayed  which  spoilt  the 
whole.  However,  pointing  soon  showed  that  even  taking  off  one  for  this 
bloom  it  was  far  ahead,  having  Souvenir  d’un  Ami  (medal  in  the  open 
division).  Cleopatra,  Princess  of  Wales,  and  Jean  Ducher,  fine,  clean,  and 
good.  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  «k  Co.  were  second  with  neat  and  regular  but 
smaller  blooms,  Cleopatra,  Catherine  Mermet,  and  !Maman  Cochet  being 
the  best  among  them.  Messrs.  Paul  &  Son  of  Cheshunt  were  third,  with 
a  pretty  specimen  of  Dr.  Grill  in  the  box. 
The  garden  Roses  (open)  were  jilaced  in  the  following  order  : — Messrs. 
F.  Cant  &  Co.,  B.  R.  Cant,  and  Paul  &  Son,  but  it  is  difficult  to  judge 
these  properly  if  no  limit  (provided  there  are  three)  is  placed  to  the 
number  of  trusses  in  a  bunch. 
In  the  amateur  classes,  Mr.  R.  E.  West  of  Reigate,  the  only  exhibitor, 
was  placed  first  for  eighteen.  Then  followed  three  classes  with  no  entries. 
In  six  Roses,  H.  Egerton-Green,  Esq.,  was  first,  showing  a  fine  bloom  of  The 
Bride.  He  was  also  first  for  twelve  Roses,  the  Mayor’s  prize,  having  in 
this  box  a  Marechal  Niel,  given  the  medal  for  best  Tea,  which  was  good, 
and  an  Alfred  Colomb,  and  awarded  a  similar  honour  for  best  H.P.,  which 
was  poor.  Mr.  R.  E.  West  was  second,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton 
third. 
Roses  were  too  scarce  for  anyone  to  show  trebles. 
In  six  similar  Teas,  all  showed  Mardchal  Niel,  Airs.  Arthur  Cant 
coming  first,  Rev.  A.  C.  Johnson  second,  and  Air.  H.  Egerton-Green 
third.  In  six  garden  Roses  the  last-named  gentleman  was  first,  having  a 
beautiful  bunch  of  Reine  Alarie  Henriette,  one  of  the  blooms  being 
apparently  as  good  as  most  of  the  red  H.P.’s  shown  elsewhere. 
The  show  of  herbaceous  flowers  was  very  good,  Mr.  Burrell  of 
Cambridge  taking  first  prize  in  the  open  class,  followed  in  the  order 
named  by  Alessrs.  Notcutt  and  Jacol)i  of  Ipswich.  Among  amateurs 
Mr.  H.  Egerton-Green  was  first,  followed  by  Hon.  W.  Lowther  and  Air. 
Orpen,  with  an  extra  prize  for  Lady  Du  Cane  of  Witham.  Messrs. 
R.  Wallace  &  Co.,  Colchester,  showed  a  fine  stand  of  Irises,  not  for 
competition. 
The  dinner  table  decorations  were  teenly  contested,  Mrs.  R.  Wallace 
taking  first  prize  in  the  first  class.  The  Judges  must,  I  think,  have  been 
influenced  here  by  three  or  four  lovely  blooms  of  the  new  Calochortus 
(Purdyi),  which  gained  a  first-class  certificate  a  short  time  before  from 
the  R.H.S.  This  delicate  flower,  with  its  wonderful  coating  of  white 
hairs,  is  beautiful  indeed.  Miss  Aloore  was  second,  and  Airs.  Arthur 
Cant  third. 
The  next  dinner  table  class  was  for  wild  flowers  only.  Miss  A.  F. 
Harwood  was  first,  with  wild  Roses  ;  Aliss  M.  Scott  second,  with  Irises 
and  Reeds  ;  and  Alr.s,  R.  Wallace  third,  with  a  most  interesting  though 
perhaps  not  effective  scheme  of  bog  plants— Ragged  Robin  and  Cotton 
Rush  as  the  tall  plants,  and  Drosera  and  Stagshorn  Moss  for  the  low 
ones. 
In  a  class  for  a  vase  of  wild  flowers,  for  girls  under  sixteen,  there 
were  no  less  than  twenty  exhibits  ;  and  almost  all  of  these  were  arranged 
with  a  taste  that  was  quite  unknown  twenty  years  ago,  before  the 
educating  power  of  these  competitions  had  done  its  work.  In  another 
class,  for  like  exhibitors,  where  a  certain  space  had  to  be  covered  with 
wild  flowers,  the  first  prize  was  given  to  Honeysuckles,  second  to  Broom, 
Sorrel,  and  “  Bull’s-eye  ”  Daisies,  and  the  third  to  a  simple  arrangement 
(which  I  liked  best  of  all — it  was  just  a  piece  of  meadow)  of  “Bull’s-eyes,” 
Buttercups,  and  Grasses  alone.  The  first  and  third  prizes  were,  I  under¬ 
stood,  won  by  the  daughters  of  a  labourer. 
The  show  of  Asparagus  is  always  a  noted  feature  at  Colchester.  In 
the  open  class  for  100  heads  Alessrs.  AV.  Stroulger  was  first,  R.  T.  Daniell 
second,  and  F.  Chapman  third.  The  last  named  was  last  year  the  winner 
of  the  challenge  cup  for  three  bundles  of  100  head  each,  presented  by 
Mr.  G.  Monro  of  (  ovent  Garden  ;  but  this  year  it  was  easily  won  by 
Air.  W.  Godfrey  of  Colchester. 
A  gleam  of  sun  came  out  in  the  afternoon,  and  a  capital  attendance 
resulted.  Some  of  us,  as  usual,  went  off  to  see  the  grounds  of  Messrs. 
F.  Cant  &  Co.  and  Mr.  B.  R.  Cant.  Roses  were  backward,  but  promising. 
Standards  undoubtedly  looked  the  best  everywhere.  Here  and  there  orange 
fungus  sparkled,  but  no  mildew  was  present.  Many  large  leaves  had 
holes  driven  through  them  by  the  hailstorm  of  a  short  time  back,  but  it 
was  nothing  like  the  memorable  storm  which  occurred  on  the  day  of  the 
Rose  show  last  year.  I  was  sorry,  but  not  surprised  after  what  I  had 
heard,  to  find  the  veteran.  Air.  B.  R.  Cant,  too  ill  to  see  me,  and  distressed 
to  find  his  good  wife  in  a  very  poor  state  of  health.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  was  pleasant  to  find  Mr.  W.  Prior  pretty  well  and  cheerful  in  the 
exhibition  tent  once  more. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
New  Public  Park  at  Tipton. — The  first  prize  of  £25  in  the 
public  competition  for  the  best  plan  for  laying  out  the  New  Victoria 
Park  at  Tipson  has  been  unanimously  awarded  to  Messrs.  William  Barron 
and  Son,  Elvaston  Nurseries,  Borrowash.  Their  plan  shows  a  lake  about 
3  acres  in  extent,  cricket  and  recreation  grounds,  lawn  tennis  grounds, 
bowling  green,  band  stand,  and  shelters.  They  also  furnish  plans  of 
lodge,  entrance  gates,  ornamental  fencing,  &c.  The  park  is  33  acres  in 
extent.  The  second  prize  was  awarded  to  Air.  John  Perry,  architect, 
Tipton.  There  were  ten  competitors. 
